Press Release Gouvernement du Québec FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CNW CODE 01 Private investments of more than $80 million Ministers Nicolas Marceau and Élaine Zakaïb Satisfied with the Results of the Economic Mission to the International Paris Air Show Le Bourget Québec, June 20, 2013 – The Minister of Finance and the Economy, Nicolas Marceau, and the Minister for Industrial Policy and the Banque de développement économique du Québec, Élaine Zakaïb, are returning to Québec satisfied with the results of the International Paris Air Show Le Bourget. They witnessed the formation of promising partnerships and their presence helped seal agreements that will have a significant impact on the aerospace sector in Québec. Private investments of some $81 million that will create structuring jobs were also confirmed. This year marked the 50th edition of the International Paris Air Show Le Bourget. In all, 1 300 exhibitors and roughly 130 000 visitors and industry professionals attended the event, including some fifty industry representatives and organizations from Québec’s aerospace sector. These included Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bell Helicopter Textron Canada, CAE as well as Montréal International and Aéro Montréal, Québec’s aerospace cluster. The ministers were also accompanied by representatives from the Ministère des Finances et de l'Économie, the Ministère des Relations internationales, de la Francophonie et du Commerce extérieur, the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie and Investissement Québec. “The Québec delegation’s substantial participation confirmed our leadership in a very innovative high-tech market. Our presence at this prestige even is essential and supports our aerospace industry. It enables Québec to take full advantage of the many business opportunities in the aerospace field. The private investments for which commitments were made here show the vigor and excellence of our industry,” Nicolas Marceau said. “Over the past few days, we were able to showcase our know-how and the expertise of Québec’s aerospace industry. Our companies are dynamic and are sought after as partners. With its ability to innovate, its effective education network and the excellence of its research centres, Québec is more attractive than ever for foreign corporations,” Élaine Zakaïb added. Jobs and investments During this trade mission, ministers Nicolas Marceau and Élaine Zakaïb announced the arrival in Québec of the French company ATEM, a company that designs and manufactures coaxial cables and RF (radiofrequency) assemblies for the aerospace industry. ATEM Canada will make new expertise available in Québec and result in the creation of about ten jobs. The heads of AV&R Vision & Robotics, which specializes in the creation of automated visual inspection and gas turbine parts finishing systems for the aeronautics and energy sectors, confirmed the amalgamation of their services with those of the Québec engineering firm IMAC Automatisation to form the Groupe AV&R. This merger will double the workforce and help make AV&R one of the world’s largest companies specializing in robotics. For its part, Aerolia, the leading French maker of aerostructures and a major manufacturer of aircraft fuselage components, will locate its first North American plant in the industrial park of the Montréal-Mirabel International Airport. An agreement in principle for an initial term of fifteen years reached with Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) stipulates an investment of $9.5 million by ADM and the creation of some 150 jobs. To house Aerolia’s head office and manufacturing workshops, ADM will custombuild a facility of 7 300 square meters that will be operational as of January 2014. A cooperation agreement was also announced between the École nationale d’aérotechnique (ENA) of Édouard-Montpetit College and Aerolia. It stipulates, among other things, that Aerolia will offer training courses and will hire graduates from the college and ENA. Sogeclair, a leading international engineering firm, announced the opening of a Canadian subsidiary in the Montréal region that will create some fifty jobs over the next three years. Aéro Montréal will launch a call for candidates for the third cohorts of the MACH initiative, which will optimize the performance of Québec’s aerospace supply chain. It also entered into an agreement with the Pôle de compétitivité aéronautique et spatial Skywin concerning the implementation of the MACH initiative in Wallonia. In addition, Aéro Montréal signed a cooperation agreement with Aerospace Cluster in Rhône-Alpes, a group of French companies, research laboratories and training centres. AHE, a distributor of aeronautical parts, will open a facility in the Montréal region and create 15 jobs within three years. Loiretech, which designs and makes moulds and tools for forming composite materials, for the aerospace sector in particular, will locate in Québec in association with Composites VCI, a Québec company. The new entity, Loiretech Canada, will be located in Mirabel and will create about ten jobs in the first year. Lastly, Sinters America, which specializes in particular in the design and manufacture of testing and tool systems for aircraft maintenance, has developed electronic cards for pressure sensors that will be used by the French company Thales Avionics. By providing Sinters America with technical and financial support, the Québec government helped the company win over this global industry leader. “These announcements clearly show that Québec is very attractive to investors, encouraging them to locate here. In light of the deals that were reached over the past few days, we are leaving with the conviction that our mission has been extremely profitable. It is a faithful reflection of the dynamism of the players that contribute daily to the strength of Québec’s aerospace sector. All these projects will undoubtedly contribute to the growth and vitality of our industry,” Nicolas Marceau concluded. To receive press releases in real time from the Economy section of the Ministère des Finances et de l’Économie, register for the following RSS feed: www.economie.gouv.qc.ca/rss. – 30 – Sources: Mélanie Malenfant Assistant Chief of Staff and Press Relations Officer Office of the Minister of Finance and the Economy Tel.: 418 643-5270 or 514 873-5363 Danielle Rioux Press Relations Officer Office of the Minister for Industrial Policy and the Banque de développement économique du Québec Tel.: 418 691-5650 Cell.: 514 258-9078 Information: Sébastien Lévesque-Beaulieu Strategic Communications Advisor Economic Mission Ministère des Finances et de l'Économie Tel.: 514 499-2199, ext. 4251 Cell.: 514 649-9212